Wonderful weather forecast for a change sees our teams head for Poole and Minehead. Two boats Piscary and Random Harvest in Dorset and Teddie Boy in Somerset should be interesting to see what different species will be caught at the two venues for Match 3 of 2018’s Species League.
I had decided to go to Minehead to support Michael Griffiths on his newly refurbished catamaran. May if Minehead promised some bigger fish but maybe not as many species as Poole.
Six others were joining me, Bill Cann and Keith Wigglesworth who are locals plus Gary Dennis, Paul Roper, Steve Batchelor and Colin Searles who were travelling further. Due to tides we were leaving port at 10.30 and having breakfast at 9.30. Still, an early start for me as I was picking up bait from the Tackle Box, Lyme Regis which meant a small additional drive. A nice mix of bait this time rag, hermits, hardbacks, squid, cuttle fish and mackerel will give the boys lots of options to target both large and small fish.
We meet at Echo Beach Café overlooking the Harbour full English for most of us and was excellent freshly cooked to order and very good value – highly recommend a visit – https://www.facebook.com/Echobeachminehead/
Boat draw sees me at number 7 not great for fishing but nice seat with shade out of sun.
We start in Porlock Bay for small fish and some variety but guess what we all catch dog fish to start with Bill picks up a nice bonus three bearded rockling and Paul next to me starts his day long rivalry with Bill catching a small bull huss. We move and drift over an inshore wreck but the tides are too much and we don’t get a bite. Anchoring next a bit further out in some tide, stronger gear bigger hooks and hermits embedded on 2/O hooks what will we catch here bites come quick and fast for Steve and Colin on the back of the boat but they turn out to be dogs stealing the crab baits. I have a nice bite as does Paul next to me with a couple of runs we both bring smooth hounds to the side of the boat not big but nice to catch our targets. Steve continues to catch dog fish after dog fish. A few better smooth hounds are caught both on hermits and hardbacks. Steve catches dog fish. Paul then hooks something bigger which turns out to be a decent bull huss and follows this up with another of a similar stamp. Pauls then catches a small conger as does Bill.
The tide drops off so we move back inshore lots of small pollock, a few wrasse and another conger for Paul sees him beat Bill by few points with Gary just behind in third oh and Steve catches yet more dogs. A beautiful picturesque journey back to the harbour an evening on the north somerset coast finishes a lovely days fishing.
Reports back from Poole – Ray Barron wins on Random Harvest and Richard Ferre on Piscary. Lots of fish and species but generally smaller than at Minehead. The bream are in with most catching their 10 and Poole Patch has lots of wrasse.
Next event is Langstone and Lyme Regis on 15th June
Species League 